It is no secret that construction workers have one of the riskiest jobs in the world. As a matter of fact, thousands of workers are either injured or killed on-site every year. But what is surprising is that most of those incidences can be completely avoidable if construction firms practice proper safety precautions.
That’s why supervisors and managers are informed to practice a safe and healthy workplace. Managing construction safety risk requires that construction managers and supervisors adhere to the most frequently cited Occupational‌ ‌Safety‌ ‌And‌ ‌Health‌ ‌Administration‌ (OSHA) standards so that injury rates can be reduced.
Besides that, safety risk can also be quite costly based on the following aspects:

• Cost of injuries
• Injured members of the public
• Multi-employer contract liabilities
• Damaging brand, bidding ability, and reputation after an incident became public

Now that we’ve gone over how serious the damages and costliness that such carelessness can bring, let’s have a look at some of the construction safety tips that can help us prevent those disastrous results:

1.   Wearing‌ ‌Personal‌ ‌Protective‌ ‌Equipment‌ (PPE)

OSHA investigators have discovered that workers aren’t always wearing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect their faces and eyes from flying particles such as silica, gases, chemicals, or harmful light radiation.
If you want to learn about the dangers of silica dust exposure, check it out here.
When using equipment or being in situations that can cause the above-mentioned catastrophes, construction workers should wear protective eyewear like safety goggles, glasses, or face shields. But it’s important for managers to make sure that the equipment fits their employees correctly and doesn’t hinder their essential work movements.

2.   Training

Training is one of the most important safety tips for construction available. The OSHA offers training on safety‌ ‌and‌ ‌security‌ practices in many industries, especially construction. They provide construction workers with worksheets, pamphlets, on-site training and training videos.
Even for experienced workers, construction safety training shouldn’t be viewed as something secondary. In fact, they should always update their knowledge bank since new technologies and construction methods always come with new risks.

3.   Fall Hazard Protection

About 65% of construction workers from around the world perform work at dangerous heights. This is why contractors should try getting rid of as many fall hazards as possible. Solid work from the ground must be done in advance before components are lifted and then installed at higher elevations. This reduces the chances of workers falling. And if all hazards can be avoided, they can at least be managed to an extent.
Protective equipment such as body harnesses is an effective way to reduce the likelihood of falls. It gets even better when harnesses are paired with safety nets. Other ways to prevent falls include ensuring that area work surfaces are stabled and have guardrails so that workers don’t step off the platform.

4.   Reduce Night‌ ‌Work‌ ‌Activity‌

This is one of the no-brainer construction site safety tips. Construction work at night isn’t a good idea due to limited visibility, which increases the possibility of accidents. Therefore, night work activity should be limited or restricted to a job site’s low-risk area. Another reason as to why accidents occur at night is due to the fatigue that workers experience, which reduces their awareness, especially after midnight. A combination of all these create more accidents in the process but can be avoided nonetheless.

5.   Wearing‌ ‌Hard‌ ‌Hats‌ ‌At‌ ‌Work‌ ‌Sites‌

When work is being done from above (like scaffolding clothes), both employees, as well as visitors below, should wear hard hats. Hard hats are one of the most common safety tips at the construction site. Besides that, the hard hats need to be inspected for any cracks, dents, or signs of aging. If you find that hard hats have shown signs of wear and tear, this means there are not going to be as effective and need to be replaced with newer and sturdier ones.

6.   Crane Safety

Despite being a necessary aspect of a construction process, cranes are a natural construction hazard due to their power and size. Apart from safety risks like malfunctioning or misusing (which should be inspected regularly), other risks are still there. Some of those risks include the crane’s load hitting other workers along with the damage that’s done by its boom and load line. Also, electrocution can lead to several fatalities if the line or boom hit a power line.
This can be avoided by inspecting the crane as well as the surrounding environment, re-evaluating work orders, barricading the swing radius, as well as advising crane operators not to swing crane loads over other employees, visitors or the public. But even when these precautions have been exercised, accidents may still occur, which is why construction sites remain alert to when and where cranes are being operated.

7.   Machine Guarding

The last entry in our list of construction zone safety tips is using a machine guard. This is when construction workers are using grinders, saws, or any other powered equipment without using the necessary guards for them. When a tool comes with a guard, workers are advised to leave it in place. Anyone operating the tool should go through the manual and use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Those operating the tool should keep short hair and not wear baggy clothing to improve their safety.